A Starbucks barista has gone viral on TikTok for issuing a public service announcement to drive-thru customers: don’t place a mobile order at the speaker.
The video was uploaded by TikTok user Danielle (@thehighbarista). As of Feb. 1, the video garnered over 45,000 views.
Danielle began the video by addressing Starbucks customers and reminding them of the practice baristas on TikTok have repeatedly said they don’t appreciate.
“I’m sure you’ve heard plenty baristas say on here how much they don’t like when someone puts their mobile in right before coming to the drive-thru or in the drive-thru line,” Danielle said.
She continued to explain that, though it may seem “silly,” baristas don’t like when customers do this because it disrupts their flow.
According to Danielle, baristas prepare drinks and bakery items as customers place their order. When a customer puts in a mobile order immediately before getting to the speaker, it gives the baristas less time to prepare the order before the customer pulls up to the window.
“So, when you come to the speaker box and you say, ‘I just put my mobile order in right now,’ and we see it pop through, now we don’t have as much time to keep getting that going, and get you going and get everyone else out of there,” she said.
In addition, Danielle explained that Starbucks sets drive-thru goals so that customers are taken care of and on their way as quickly as possible. She made it clear that it is not a customer’s responsibility to help baristas achieve these goals, but she expressed that achieving the goals is beneficial for both baristas and customers.
@thehighbarista am i making sense or did i explain this poorly? 😅 #baristas #barista #baristalife #baristatok #lasvegas #vegas #serviceindustry #baristaproblems #starbucks ♬ original sound – Danielle | thehighbarista
In the comments section, other baristas reinforced Danielle’s message.
“On top of that your mobile order is hard to find because it’s behind all the other mobile order/cafe orders,” one viewer commented.
“Especially if you’re backed up on mobiles & then make us pull a lot of tickets in order to get to theirs.. you can’t always force print from the dpm,” a second wrote.
“Not to mention mobiles usually pop out of the same machine as cafe and if you’re busy you may have to pull the stickers for SEVERAL orders to find,” another echoed.
However, Danielle’s explanation left some Starbucks customers confused.
“So it’s better to just skip the app, cause the window order is made faster?” one viewer asked.
“But isn’t it the same as ordering at the window?” a second questioned. “y’all don’t know our order until we finish at the window, like placing a mobile order at window.”
@thehighbarista Replying to @courtneyemyers can you imagine if everyone mobile ordered? id be in heaven #baristas #barista #baristalife #baristatok #lasvegas #vegas #serviceindustry #baristaproblems #starbucks ♬ original sound – Danielle | thehighbarista
In response to comments from confused viewers, Danielle posted a follow-up video. The TikToker explained that ordering ahead only bothers her when “it’s done at the speaker box” or “while you’re in line to order at the speaker box.” She said she prefers when customers mobile order, and concluded the video by encouraging customers to continue doing so.
“I personally wish everybody would mobile order,” she said. “It would create so many solutions to my job and the customer’s experience, and that’s just my opinion.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Danielle via TikTok comment and Starbucks via press email for more information.
